Serial
91: Fog of war
March 22nd, 33 S.D. 10:54 Capital City, Henron
The room was rather small and cramped, what with its relatively low ceiling and close walls. Time, however, was short, so a few dozen officers scuttled into the dimly lit meeting. Here, the likes of both Sventa and Henron assembled. Present among this company were Prime Lead Delri, Core Lead Vitna, Range Lead Kal, and Core Lead Liveta. Not to be forgotten, Losha occupied a seat as well. Her distinctive Wolf of War pelt sat on her lap as she and the others looked up at the far wall. They were separated by an aisle; in the middle sat a projector of Gandian import, though modified to use the battery powered lamps Henron had developed. Liveta slid a clear sheet over the screen and instantly a map of Henron appeared.
“Govan’s forces are currently stationed in this area, northwest of Capital City, the Tafren Plains,” Liveta explained, placing a marker on the screen. “As you can see, he is only about 10 kilometers outside of the city. He has not moved any closer since this morning. His intent, most likely, is to draw us out of the city and onto the battlefield of his choosing. He does not wish to bring any harm to the people living here. Unfortunately, we cannot stay in the city indefinitely. We are already straining its resources. Furthermore, I refuse to use the civilians as shields. This war has to end today.”
“The chief concern for all of us is a new weapon called the serasword. It is a dangerous tool. For those of you who do not know the extent of its power, Govan used it to wipe away an entire Sventa division in a single attack. To be blunt, he could destroy us all, several hundred times over in fact. We may outnumber him, but we are actually at a severe disadvantage. That is why we will be using a few new techniques on the field. Prime Lead Delri, are you familiar with the tactics employed by the Askan, a minor clan that has fought most of the inner major clans?”
“Of course,” Delri said. “They have been a nuisance to both our people for ages. They call it the scattered web formation. It was initially thought up to counter the rise of cannon use in the Central Plains. It divides their numbers into smaller groups, spreading them out over a wider range. Branches are supposed to stay a specific distance from the next ones. The idea behind that is so their entire forces can move cohesively, even from afar. In practice, however, it breaks down. If you manage to cause confusion in their ranks, everything collapses.”
“Precisely,” Liveta nodded. “Unit cohesion, given pressure, begins to fail under the scattered web formation. However, by widening the space between possible targets, this strategy indeed proved effective in dodging cannon-fire.”
“Do you intend to have us use scattered web formations for this battle?” Vitna asked, stroking his chin.
“A variation of it, sa,” Liveta replied. “We know Govan’s serasword has an effective range of several kilometers. The best option is to give him as many targets as possible to chose from. This will reduce the amount of casualties wherever he takes aim. The scattered web lets us broaden troop positions without getting too thin.”
“But what about when we start to lose control over out units?” Kal questioned. “More often than not, the Askans ended up in disarray.”
“That was the flaw they never fixed. We do not have much in the way of real-time communications like the Gandians, so we cannot keep our soldiers dispersed too long. You see, the trick to successfully using the scattered web is to make it temporary. We will use this method as our approach, but once we get near Govan, we reconvene and attack upfront.”
Liveta pulled out a pen and drew on the clear sheet. She made a circle indicating Govan’s location, then the Core Lead put a number of triangles representing Sventa and Henron joint forces around the Prime Lead. Next, she drew a series of lines pointing out the path of each triangle.
“Since Govan can strike us from quite a ways off, we need to foil that with the scattered web. Even so, consider that there is a zone where he will not unleash the full power of the serasword.” Within the first circle, Liveta traced a smaller one.
“He cannot use it there because his own soldiers will be in the way,” Delri mused.
“Sa. He can still do something, but whatever it is, it will not put those under his command in jeopardy. So in short, we spread out our people as they charge, giving Govan too many enemies to hit in too little time, then we form up as we close in and engage. With that, we should have a chance to win this fight without suffering heavy losses from that sword.”
“Interesting approach, Ver Liveta,” Vitna said.
“There is more,” Liveta continued. “Losha, do you remember your battle in the Talimer Forest, against Suvla the Olta Fox?”
“Sa. It is not something I can easily forget.” From time to time, Losha half expected to see Suvla’s ghostly image float across her view. She still wasn’t convinced that what she saw in Navaran was mere delirium. Then there was that fortune Suvla had told her. No, Suvla wouldn’t ever leave her mind, she thought.
“I remember that fight quite well.”
“There, we used so-called ‘devil’s dirt’ to create a deep mist, thereby reducing overall visibility. While we cannot do the same for this battle, we can use something far more ingenious. Though Suvla is no more, we still have many products of her research. As I heard from the report at Binfort, the enemy tried to use what Suvla referred to as a ‘gas grenade’, although ‘smoke grenade’ is more accurate.” Liveta swapped out the old sheet for another; this one was filled with diagrams detailed with neighboring bodies of text. Most of the images showed crude drawings of people tossing items followed by different angles of a growing cloud.
“These grenades release a dark veil into the air, obscuring those inside. We will use these to mask ourselves while we move in via scattered web formations. This will further reduce the danger posed by the serasword. Of course, the handheld versions of Suvla’s creation is not efficient for this operation. That is why we will be using these.” Liveta changed sheets again. This one showed a large cylindrical capsule beside a massive cannon. Someone swore softly as they read the dimensions and firepower written in a list of specifications.
“Shrieks, what is that?” Delri asked, blinking her one good eye.
“This is the work of yet another member of TRIBLADE, Avil the Noven Hawk. He built and designed the gun ages ago. It is a long-range assault cannon with a field of fire rating of four kilometers, approximately. We will be launching these rounds, larger, modified versions of Suvla’s grenades. These cannons were never put to use because they were hard to transport, and they consume hefty amounts of powder. They have stayed in the capital for years, however, we have them at our disposal.”
Once more, Liveta put on the first sheet, the map of Henron and the Tafren Plains. “The cannons will be set in this section,” she said, drawing several dots. “They will launch various waves during the start of battle. We will have to time and aim them carefully to make optimal use of the smoke. Keep in mind, we have rain scheduled in the forecast. That will dampen the effect of these canisters. Once we hit the combat zone, we need to move, fast and hard.”
“We have four contingents to Govan’s single group. We will go to him in a semi-circle pattern. This will maximize the scattered web. Once we get near him, two of us can flank and engulf him.” Liveta etched symbols illustrating what she was talking about.
“Under normal circumstances, we would not even have to think of taking all these measures, but this war has seen so much change for us,” Liveta said, walking to the front, stepping into the projector’s light. “We ought to say this will be an easy win, but those of us who have been soldiers a long time know that those victories are a rare kind. Digressing, only one more thing needs to be examined before we head out. Losha, your role is going to be crucial.”
The Wolf looked at Liveta. “Sa, go on. What would you have of me?”
“Prime Lead Govan will be your opponent. Please, focus on him and him alone. Let everyone else deal with his troops. Our objective is to make sure you get to him. How are you feeling?”
“I seem to have healed enough. I am not at my peak, but we have no choice. I still feel plenty capable. Leave Govan to me. I shall not allow anyone to abuse such power. Seras, the energy of our souls, must not be treated like a weapon as Govan has. I shall stop him.”
“Excellent,” the Core Lead nodded, folding her arms. “Obviously, we cannot plan for how your fight will go. I have to leave that matter to you once you come face-to-face with him. I have to warn you, however, that Govan is not a man to trifle with, whether or not he has that sword.”
“As I am sure you are quite aware of by now, TRIBLADE takes its members from our very best here in Henron. Avil the Noven Hawk and his uncanny ability to practically see people through solid objects. Suvla the Olta Fox and her otherworldly gift of seeing the future. Koter the Velhast Hound and his speed, dexterity, and enhanced sense of smell. And then there is Govan the Barul Lion, a man of seemingly superhuman strength and fortitude. He is more than a formidable strategist; he used to be one of our greatest fighters, a warrior who could mow down row after row of foes on his own. It was Govan that lead that team years ago. He may be in his forties, but do not underestimate him in a match.”
“That sums up everything I wanted to go over. There is nothing left to plan for. This is the battle we have been building up to all of these months, nearly a year now. We do not have much time on our hands. Let us begin our hardest mission yet.”
“Steady, Izel,” Losha said, patting the back of the horse’s head. They had left the gates of Capital City and were marching out into the plains. WOLFWIND formed a sort of triangle around her as she traveled with the First Division. A sea of people stretched out as far as she could see. The ranks of three Henron orders and one Sventa division extended to the north and south. All in all, she felt the presence of some 100,000 souls. She could not count them all, but her estimate was not off its mark. Behind them, dozens of teams of horses pulled eight gigantic guns. The menacing machinations sat on carts some 20 meters in length. Even while resting flat, the cannons were near twice as tall as any one person. On separate carts, heavy metal containers as big as barrels were wheeled along. Losha wondered how enough smoke to cover half a battlefield could possibly come from them, but she knew it would go through without issue.
A fine, gentle rain had started. Sparse droplets fell upon their army as the sky overhead continued to darken. At the moment, the weather was barely a drizzle, but distantly, pushing from the west, a chilling wind approached. Far in the background, the clouds lit up briefly, flashing silently.
“Hmph, April showers have come early this year,” Losha said as she tightened her Wolf of War pelt around her head. She hoped it would keep her dry when the storm opened up.
Ahead, Losha could sense Govan’s seras frequency. Just as well, she could feel the dense seras coming from his sword. Though it was only stone, it carried with it a monstrous, almost choking field of oppression. It reminded Losha of the time she and Nabel met, how his very coming had caused the mountainside to shake. That man, it were as if he could have summoned enough seras to crush the world with his own hand. Whatever amount of power King truly had within himself, she was far too inexperienced to measure. All she knew was that his might was vast.
That thought was what came to her mind as they traveled closer and closer to the Prime Lead. The serasword’s capabilities were deep, unfathomable, and frightening. Nevertheless, in herself there remained neither doubt nor uncertainty. She had faced numerous challenges along this path, none of which had proved easy despite her command of serialization. Death had rushed past her on more than one occasion, but ultimately over these recent months, she had survived. Luck, wits, and courage had pulled her through this far; what else could she believe except that she’d come out of this alright? The battle was to their disadvantage, given Govan’s overwhelming weaponry, yet she was used to being the underdog. She’d win this battle; there would be no other way.
All at once, the order to halt was given. Here they stood less than four kilometers away from Govan. True to Liveta’s description, the Tafren Plains were indeed near level with the horizon. Through binoculars, they could spot a mass of soldiers beyond the grass. They were supposedly in reach of the dreaded serasword, but they had to fire their cannons here for maximum coverage. The heavy artillery began to rear up as soldiers stood on either side, cranking gear after gear. Its rim pointed to the sky as it raised slowly, loudly. By the time their engineers had calculated the proper height, the cannon went about as high as her house back in Sevia. A series of technicians went to work; some began dumping precise amounts of powder, others began loading up the smoke bomb, while another handful detached and pulled the horses away. Within a few minutes, they had calibrated everything for the first round. Shouts called out noisily as they began to clear out.
“When those things go off, it will be a full sprint towards Govan. We will not have time to slowdown,” Losha said as she looked at WOLFWIND. “Get ready, everyone.”
Adjusting themselves on horseback, they glanced aside at the huge cannons. They waited tensely for the rise of that one explosive moment. Though they were in the midst of thousands, an eerie silence surrounded Losha and her companions. It were as if the world were marked with utter silence. She could hear her breath, see its faint form in the growing coldness. Her hands gripped the reins as a breeze tugged the side of her face. As if in premonition, someone’s horse cried wildly before the quiet was officially broken by thunder.
With a deafening blast, the cannons fired in unison. In a whirl of flames, the ends of the guns flashed with fire. Even with their brakes applied, each of these enormous devices rocked backwards a handful of meters. The ground itself shook as did the very air. Rippling away, pounding over the land, the canisters flew above the Tafren Plains, tearing across space with great speed. Though her ears yet rung from the launch, Losha soon found a chorus of voices yelling aloud. It was time to move.
“Izel!” she said, whipping the leather straps bridling his muzzle. Izel posed majestically, rising up on two legs, boxing his front hooves while he shook his head. An instant later, he stamped down and took off. At that same time, everyone else began to surge. As if they were a single moving mass, the allied army advanced as a whole. Eventually, as they gained ground, they split up and spread from each other. Losha and WOLFWIND stuck close together, riding tightly next to themselves. After a while, however, they were at least 20 meters from the closest group. To make the scattered web formation, some units purposefully slowed and some went ahead. This would not only increase the amount of land they occupied, but it wold also ensure that they’d attack Govan in waves. Losha was somewhere in the middle. Liveta wanted the rest of the army to handle a portion of Govan’s forces for the Wolf. After all, her target was the Prime Lead himself.
Izel galloped quickly, pushing both of them closer to the heart of battle. Overhead, the shrill whistling of impending projectiles echoed. With a crash, the canisters fell to the earth. Immediately, thick plumes of smoke poured forth, creeping across the land like fog. From behind, another round was fired from the cannons. Rain pelted her cheeks as they swiftly rode into the rolling clouds. The threshold was like a wall; one moment Losha could see everything around her, but after that the world was nothing except haze.
“Stay close, everyone,” she cried, leading her comrades. All they had to do was go straight, and sooner or later they would stumble upon the Prime Lead. Losha could detect the enemy, so she could guide them even in the murkiness. Her mind ever worried about the serasword though. Would he use it on them now, or would he wait? What would his strategy look like? The latest salvo of canisters bombarded the stage, casting a fresh cloak upon them as the allied army proceeded. Whatever stood ahead, Losha was certain of one thing; she’d bring an end to this wretched war, at last.
“What is this shrieking madness?!” Core Lead Lisk scowled as he saw the smoke spilling widely. “Just what sort of trick are they up to?”
Govan stood beside his subordinate; both the serasword and his regular sword were drawn. “That is how a true tactician approaches this battle,” he said; a note of pleasure tinged his words. “She knows the serasword could wipe them all out in a series of blows. But if I do not know where to attack, I would waste time and effort. If they get too close, I have to fight carefully, so as not to harm our units. However, there is something I can do in response. If we cannot go on the offensive, what we need then is perfect defense.”
Govan aimed the serasword towards the heavens. Bursting with white light, the end erupted into a blinding, silver stream. It shot up until it suddenly broke apart, cascading into hundreds of smaller segments. These bolts of brightness fell upon his soldiers. One after another, a brilliant aura came to surround their bodies. It danced over their every limb, encasing and contouring their forms. For a moment, many wondered curiously at the spectacle, but as they looked down at their hands, there was no mistaking the power protecting them.
“Every one of us now carries a shield greater than any steel. Let them come for us. We will meet them without fear. Once they emerge from the cloud, all units are to attack!”
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